Automatic emergency light control system



Aug. 26, 1941- 4 K. MATSUKAWA 2,253,911

AU:I'OMATIC EMERGENCY LIGHT CONTROL SYSTEM Filed Feb. 23, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 v Inventor My? /afsalawa A iiorneys Aug. 26, 1941-. K. MATSUKAWA' 2,253,911

AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY LIGHT CONTROL SYSTEM Filed Feb. 23, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 627 f7 Inventor 37 4 0 a 4 3? A? {Waffu wa Patented Aug. 26, 1941 AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY LIGHT CONTROL SYSTEM Kogen Matsukawa, Ewa, Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii Application February 23, 1940, Serial No. 320,519

Claims.

The present invention appertains to new and useful improvements in lighting systems and more particularly to an emergency light control system, the principal object of the invention being to provide a system which will operate automatically, or which can be operated manually.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a system of the character stated especially adapted for automobile headlight use, the same being operative to automatically change over from high beam to low beam in the event the high beam circuit becomes disrupted, or on the other hand, change over from low beam to high beam in the event the low beam circuit becomes defective.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to the reader of the following specification.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 represents a perspective view of the automatic means.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view through the automatic means.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the manual switch.

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view disclosing the electrical connection between the electrical devices involved.

Referring to the drawings, wherein like numerals designate like parts, it can be seen that numeral 5 represents the base of insulation while numeral 6 denotes the back panel.

Mounted on blocks 1 on the panel 6 are the brackets through which are slidably disposed the stems 9 carrying the contacts l0 and inter-' posed between these contacts In and the brackets 8 are the compression springs l I. These contacts ID are normally bridged by the bridge plate I2 which is secured by screws 13 to the upper end of the plunger generally referred to by numeral I4, this plunger consisting of the upper wooden section 15 and the lower metallic weight-forming section 16, the latter being formed with a socket at its upper end for receiving the reduced depending portion 11 of the upper section IS. The plunger I4 is movable in a cylinder l8 which is provided with a pair of slots |9--l9 at diametrically opposite side portions thereof and which extend from a point near the lower end of the cylinder upwardly to open through the upper end. The end portions of the bridge plate I2 are guided by these slots IS.

A stem 20 extends upwardly from the bridge tween which and the binding post 22 is interposed the fuse 23.

The cylinder I8 is secured by the clamp 24 to the panel 6 by screws or the like 25. The contacts l0 and bridge plate l2, of course take care of one circuit of the system shown in Figure 4, depending upon the position of the manually operable switch A.

The switch generally referred to by numeral 26 consists of the rocker 29 fulcrumed as at 30 on-the support 3|. One end of the rocker 29 has the plate-like formation 32 disposed under the cylinder IS. The other end is provided with the lateral flanges 33 to limit downward movement of the rocker 29 against the upper ends of the contact members 34 and 35, it being under stood, of course, that this rocker 29 is of insulating material.

At each side of the rocker 29 is located a pair of posts 3631, rising from the base 5. Each of these posts 3631 has an inwardly and downwardly disposed head portion 38 through which a slide pin 39 is disposed. A compression spring 40 is interposed between each of these heads 38 and the contacts 34 and 35 carried by the corresponding pin. Normally the outer end of the rocker 29 is interposed between the contacts 34 and 35, as shown in Figure 1.

The manually controlled switch generally referred to by numeral A consists of the base 45 on which are the pair of upstanding brackets 45-46 through the upper portions of which are slidably disposed members 41 carrying contacts 48 and 49. On each of the slide members 41 and between each contact 48 or 49 and the bracket proper is a coiled compression spring 50.

On the intermediate portion of the base 45 is swingably mounted the block 5| of insulation. A blade 52 extends in one direction from the block 5| and has the bifurcated end 53 secured to the block 51 while its opposite end is engageable with one or the other of the contacts 4849.

The blade 54 is provided with the bifurcated head 55 which is secured to the other end of the block 5 I. The blade 54 is operative between the contacts 56 and 51 which are located on the slide stems 58 slidably disposed against the action of compression springs 59 on the bracket 6960. A joint of insulation 6| connects the blade 54 with the handle 62 and this handle 62 is operative along the horizontal plate 63 which is supported by compression spring 64. A bridge member 65 is disposed over the plate 63 and is provided with offsets 66 and 61 therein into one or the plate [2 and has an eye 2| at its upper end be- 55 other of which the handle 62 is engageable.

As is shown in Figure 4, numeral 68 represents the source of current which extends to the switch 69. From the switch 69 current can pass by way of the conductor Hi to the fuse 23 and from there by way of the stem 20 to the bridge member I2 and contacts Ill. Current can then pass from the contacts I!) by way of the jumper H to the blade 54. If the handle 62 is toward the right as shown in Figure 3, the blade 54 will be engaging the contact 51 and the low beam filament 12 will be energized. Should the fuse 23 become disrupted, then the current will pass along the conductor 13, and as the plunger M has fallen to lift the rocker 29 and permit the contacts of the contacts 34 and 35 to come together, current will flow across contacts 34 and 35 and fuse 14 to the jumper I5 and switch blade 52 and as the blade 52 will be engaged with the contact 48, current will flow to the high beam filament 16.

While the foregoing specification sets forth the invention in specific terms, it is to be understood that numerous changes in the shape, size and materials may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed hereinafter.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A switch of the character described comprising a gravitable body, a contact bridge carried by the body, a pair of contacts adapted to be bridged by the bridge member when the gravitable body is in elevated position, a fuse for suspending the body in a position holding the bridge member against the contacts, a second pair of contacts, spring means for bringing the last-mentioned contacts together, a spacer of insulation interposed between the last-mentioned contacts, said spacer being movably mounted and adapted to be displaced from between the last-mentioned contacts when the weight of the gravitable body is released against the same and pursuant to the disruption of the fuse.

2. A switch of the character described comprising a gravitable body, a contact bridge carried by the body, a pair of contacts adapted to be bridged by the bridge member when the gravitatable body is in elevated position, a fuse for suspending the body in a position holding the bridge member against the contacts, a second pair of contacts, spring means for bringing the last-mentioned contacts together, a spacer of insulation interposed between the last-mentioned contacts, said spacer being movably mounted and adapted to be displaced from between the last-mentioned contacts when the weight of the gravitable body is released against the same and pursuant to the disruption of the fuse, an L-shaped support, the first-mentioned pair of contacts being mounted on the vertical portion of the support, a guide on the vertical portion of the support for the gravitable body, the second-mentioned pair of contacts being mounted on the horizontal portion of the support.

3. A switch of the character described comprising a gravitable body, a contact bridge carried by the body, a pair of contacts adapted to be bridged by the bridge member when the gravitable body is in elevated position, a fuse for suspending the body in a position holding the bridge member against the contacts, a second pair of contacts, spring means for bringing the last-mentioned contacts together, a spacer of insulation interposed between the last-mentioned contacts, said spacer being movably mounted and adapted to be displaced from between the last-mentioned contacts when the weight of the gravitable body is released against the same and ptu'suant to the disruption of the fuse, an L-shaped support, the first-mentioned pair of contacts being mounted on the vertical portion of the support, a guide on the vertical portion of the support for the gravitable body, the second-mentioned pair of contacts being mounted on the horizontal portion of the support, said spacer being rockably supported on the horizontal portion of the support.

4. A switch of the character described comprising a gravitatable body, a contact bridge carried by the body, a pair of contacts adapted to be bridged by the bridge member when the gravitable body is in elevated position, a fuse for suspending the body in a position holding the bridge member against the contacts, a second pair of contacts, spring means for bringing the last-mentioned contacts together, a spacer of insulation interposed between the last-mentioned contacts, said spacer being movably mounted and adapted to be displaced from between the last-mentioned contacts when the weight of the gravitatable body is released against the same and pursuant to the disruption of the fuse, a guide for the gravitable body, said guide being slotted to accommodate the bridge member carried by the gravitable body.

5. A switch of the character described comprising a gravitable body, a contact bridge carried by the body, a pair of contacts adapted to be bridged by the bridge member when the gravitable body is in elevated position, a fuse for suspending the body in a position holding the bridge member against the contacts, a second pair of contacts, spring means for bringing the last-mentioned contacts together, a spacer of insulation interposed between the last-mentioned contacts, said spacer being movably mounted and adapted to be displaced from between the last-mentioned contacts when the weight of the gravitable body is released against the same and pursuant to the disruption of the fuse, said first-mentioned pair of contacts being provided with spring means for urging the same against the bridge member when the gravitable body is in elevated position.

KOGEN MATSUKAYVA. 

